Dairy Free
Gluten Free
Nut Free
Paleo
It wasn’t so much a moment, or even a day, but a gradual creep. Things – every day things, that I never used to think twice about – have gotten harder and more taxing little by little until one day I realized “oh sh*t. This is what everyone’s been talking about.”
I still don’t feel pregnant – at least not in any of the ways that I expected to, or that friends told me I would. I don’t feel an enormous dead weight hanging off the front of my body, I don’t have a ravenous appetite, and I’m not sweatyor experiencing rib pain all the time (yet). But I feel different. Possessed. Not like myself. Sometimes, alarmingly like the days in the past couple of years when I was sickest and struggling the most, and I have to remind myself that this time, it’s ok. This is not a backslide. This is a forward, um, slide. It is amazing to realize thatmy previously-broken body is now so unbroken that it isable to not just support my own existence but someone else’s.
But still… that doesn’t help with the fatigue. It’s not“I didn’t sleep much last night” tired, which I’m used to and don’t even notice anymore, but “someone removed the bones from my body” tired. So, I’m starting to invent coping mechanisms. Meal planning is one of them, and I’m going to start posting our meal plans soon for those of you who have asked me over and over for the last couple years for more meal planning guidance, andbatch cooking is another. This salad is a perfect way to put batch cooking to good use, and enjoy a healthy, satisfying meal (because this salad is a meal; it’s so loaded that you can’t even see the greens underneath. No rabbit food here!) without feeling like you’re eating old, lifeless leftovers.
See, everything in this nicoise salad is meant to be served cold, so who would know if you prepared the components an hour ago or 3 days ago? If you’re tired enough, you can even trick yourself into forgetting. Actually, you don’t even have to try; you’ll just be so thankful to see actual food in the fridge that you don’t have to prepare.
The salmon can be made fresh, if you want, which is totally manageable with my super-quick, hands off seared salmon method. Sometimes, I even make several bowls of thesalad base, with everything except the salmon, and put it in the fridge (covered, of course), until I’m ready to sear a piece of fish and plop it in the center of the action. And it is a bowl full of action: endlessly contrasting colors, textures and flavors that make every bite interesting and satisfying. This salad may be a desperation meal on your most tired or lazy day, but it certainly tastes like anything but.
Yield: 2 salads
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
No offense to tuna, but the classic gluten free Nicoise Salad gets a major upgrade with the addition of salmon. Top it with lemon dijon vinaigrette for a satisfying meal!
Ingredients
Ingredients for the salad
- Approx 6 cups mixed baby greens
- 1/4 lb grape tomatoes, rinsed and halved
- 3/4 lb white or white sweet potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces, steamed or roasted, and chilled
- 1/4 cup green beans, steamed and chilled
- 2 hard boiled eggs, cooled, peeled and sliced
- About 10 nicoise or kalamata olives, halved
- 2 quick-seared salmon fillets, method here, hot or chilled
Ingredients for the lemon dijon vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey, or more to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Divide the greens between two large entree bowls.
- Add half of the tomatoes, potatoes, beans, eggs, and olives to each bowl.
- Top with salmon fillets.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients until well combined.
- Dress the salads with the vinaigrette, and serve immediately.
Notes
- You can make all of the components of this salad up to 3 days ahead of time and store them (individually) in airtight containers in the refrigerator until you're ready to assemble the salads.
- This salad was inspired by the salad of a similar name at Nordstrom Cafes.
- Yield: 2 salads
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 583Saturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 280mgSodium: 328mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 45g
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